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Forest Grove police, firefighters train for shooter scenario

Forest Grove fire police training

A Forest Grove police officer follows Forest Grove Fire & Rescue personnel into the former Times-Litho building during a training exercise Nov. 1. The two agencies were practicing a scenario in which police and firefighters respond to an active shooter.
(Samantha Swindler/Forest Grove Leader)

During the roughly two-hour drill, Forest Grove fire and police personnel responded to a mock scenario in which a person was shooting inside a building and several victims needed medical attention.

In the Oregon City incident, which left a reserve officer and his alleged shooter dead, firefighters were responding to a fire when the suspect fired on an officer.

Friday’s training took place at the former Times-Litho building, owned by the city of Forest Grove, on Pacific Avenue between A and B streets. Dave Nemeyer, spokesman for Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, said the departments aim to do a joint training at least once a year. Cornelius and Forest Grove fire departments sent a total of three fire engines to the training. Approximately 15 firefighters, 5 police officers, along with command staff and volunteers participated, Nemeyer said.

Though the training included full gear for the firefighters and guns for the police officers, the scenario itself unfolded rather slowly. There was no fake blood, as is sometimes used in role playing training. Officers and firefighters were not seen running in and out of the building. This event was a chance to learn new terminology, get police officers comfortable with the layout of the fire truck, and cross-train police on basic EMS response. Nemeyer said police officers learned how to deploy tarps and carriers for patients.

The training occurred in the block adjacent to Forest Grove Community School, where children were arriving for class Friday morning. Nemeyer said a letter was sent to students’ parents Thursday evening alerting them of the police and fire presence that would be on the street.

Nemeyer said the department was “purposefully a little more discreet” with this training, because staff didn’t want anyone who “might be planning something” to see the police response.